Faiyum

The Fayum (also spelled Faiyum) is a city and the capital of Fayum Governorate in Egypt, located in the Fayum Oasis about 100 kilometers southwest of Cairo.

The Fayum Depression is a fertile basin watered by the Bahr Yussef canal, which diverts Nile water into the oasis and supports crops such as dates, cereals, and vegetables. Qarun Lake lies to the west, and the surrounding wetlands provide habitat for birds as well as grazing and fishing uses for local communities.

The area has a long and varied history. In ancient times the city was known as Shedet, or Crocodilopolis, a center for Sobek worship. In Graeco-Roman periods it included towns such as Karanis and Tebtunis, and it is associated with the Fayum mummy portraits that have been recovered from local cemeteries.

Today Fayum is the administrative center of the governorate. The economy remains rooted in irrigation-based agriculture and related industry, while the region attracts visitors for archaeological sites, Lake Qarun, and desert landscapes.